I'm out

[CowboyRam]

My uncle sold his cows four or five years ago, but he still works just as hard. His oldest son, son-in-law, and I run cows out on his place. He should turn 84 this year, he is about two years younger than dad, and dad just turned 86 last month. Had I not decided to get into farming, dad would have gave it up several years ago. Once you are in it, it seems it's hard to walk away from. I know for dad having the farm gives him a reason to get up every morning, and get out of the house. I go out in the morning a feed the cows, and he likes coming out to check to see if we have any new calves, check on the bulls.

My grandfather always said, never give complexly up, you need something to get you going in the morning. He had several friends that got a rocking chair and it was not long and they were gone; grandpa out lived them all. If it had not been for cancer I am sure he would have lived into his 90's.

 

[greybeard]

What is the requirement for the AG Exemption in TX?

It goes by county. Mine (about 70 miles from CB)
[Native/Imp Pasture.
Must be fenced.
Water Source]
1. A minimum of APPROXIMATELY fifteen (15) acres is required. (was 20 acres prior to 2021)
2. At least 75% is open space for grazing.
3. At least five (5) head of reproducing cows. (was 6-8 prior to 2021)
4. The approx. minimum acreage listed above will require a high level of forage management.
5. Larger tracts should have enough animal units to match the carrying capacity of the land.
6. Typical management practices for this type of operation include, but are not limited to adequate fencing suitable for containment of livestock, continuous water supply suitable for the number of livestock, a fertilization and weed control program (mechanical or chemical), receipts for purchases and sales of animals, breeding receipts for off-site breeding, and proper management of land for long-run forage.

Hay:
1. A minimum of APPROXIMATELY ten (10) acres is required.
2. Typically, proof of two (2) cuttings in years of normal rainfall.
3. Land should be fertilized heavily at first of year and top dressed later as needed.
4. There should be no animals on a hayfield during growing season. Animals may be wintered on hayfields.

Here, according to the CAD folks I talked to or what they had on line in 2020, are the 'special valuation' (ag exemption) requirements for most of the East Texas Counties:

East Texas ag requirements for grazing

This is what it is. Every entry is accurate only to the extent that the individual county's website was or if website didn't include the requirements for 1d1, then it depends how informed the Central Appraisal District's person on the other end of the phone line was. If you are fairly sure your...

www.cattletoday.com

 

[kenny thomas]

Greybeard, are there forestry exemptions if you decide to plant it in pines? Or are you still in the pine belt?

 

[sstterry]

Tennessee is pretty lax on the definition. It just has to be 15 acres of open land used to grow crops, raise animals, or forest. I have never heard of someone being denied "greenbelt" status if they have 15 open or forested acres.

 

[greybeard]

Greybeard, are there forestry exemptions if you decide to plant it in pines? Or are you still in the pine belt?

Yes. A timber exemption. I did not address that because timber exemptions weren't being assailed by my county. Only livestock exemptions were.
I'm definitely in the 'pine belt'.
But, timber and cattle don't work together in this county because of the ridiculous requirement that 75% of the land be cleared.
People have been running cattle 'in the woods' in my county for 100 years and all of a sudden the county appraisal district claims it's not economically possible.
I KNOW what they are trying to do, and it has nothing to do with cattle, and I told them as much in front of a big room full of people and in front of the CAD ag advisory board, but one of the ag advisory board members is also on one of the school district boards. His concern was "but the county will lose too much revenue if we do away with that requirement". He did not like it when I quoted from the State Comptroller that the county issues ag exemptions and makes guidelines/rules "without regard to the county's need to provide services".

On that, the chief appraiser did back me up when I looked at her and asked "Isn't that right Ms S****"?

Their current tack seems to be to push people to wildlife exemptions. I'm not sure why, as I did not attend that special symposium last month.

 

[TexasRancher]

Likely….the $15 minimum wage….as I age I'm less content with the $1.50 I might end up with. The likely return on one's investment just isn't worth the effort. So I'd say both. What better time to throw in the towel.

You sound so beat down and disenchanted. I'm taking losses every year...building my cattle infrastructure. I'm enchanted with cattle 3 years into this. They are fixing up the land. I went into cattle to enjoy and the plan was to "break even". This year I'll almost break even..next year slight profit. Having infrastructure, fencing, water, shelters, good grazing land.....having working ranch/ranches are equity and preserving wealth. I'm retire and my time spent with cattle care and maintenance...is free, an honor...they are the majestic ones. Everyone's hung up too much on money.....it's an honor to own a farm-ranch when Agriculture is waning severely. The future could be wonderful.

 

[1982vett]

You sound so beat down and disenchanted. I'm taking losses every year...building my cattle infrastructure. I'm enchanted with cattle 3 years into this. They are fixing up the land. I went into cattle to enjoy and the plan was to "break even". This year I'll almost break even..next year slight profit. Having infrastructure, fencing, water, shelters, good grazing land.....having working ranch/ranches are equity and preserving wealth. I'm retire and my time spent with cattle care and maintenance...is free, an honor...they are the majestic ones. Everyone's hung up too much on money.....it's an honor to own a farm-ranch when Agriculture is waning severely. The future could be wonderful.

Not beat down...just acknowledging the truth for what it's worth.

Hung up on money? Yes...I want a fair return for my efforts and monetary risk. I can be charitable, but it has it's limits.

 

[WFfarm]

I started 3 years ago and already sold out and quit once. The wife and I was driving down the road and saw the neighbors calves running around and we decided to get more cattle. It was then that I knew I had caught some kind of sickness.

I hear Ivermectin might cure that.

 

[bird dog]

If you don't consider your real estate as part of your program, profit is almost an impossibility for the guy with under 150 cows. For me I made more money in 2021 than I ever have at least if you go by what the value of the ranch went up. This is all according to the nice folks at the tax office, comps, and the real estate folks that keep sending me stuff wanting to buy my place. As far as my cows go, they lost money once again.

 

[Dixie2542]

I get so mad now when I get those cards for trying to buy land. Most land now is unfortunately unattainable for the younger generation, being developed and "investors" and LLCs keep buying up everything...times sure are changing

 

[greybeard]

I get so mad now when I get those cards for trying to buy land.

I've gotten them about 3 times a year now for the last 5 years. I actually called the number on the card twice just to see what he deal was, and had to leave a message both times. Must not be too interested as they never returned my calls.

 

[kenny thomas]

I've gotten them about 3 times a year now for the last 5 years. I actually called the number on the card twice just to see what he deal was, and had to leave a message both times. Must not be too interested as they never returned my calls.

The one that tries that here is from South Carolina. They offer too little to begin with but ask you to sign a 90 day sales contract. They offer you a little money maybe $100 to make it legal. They try to have it sold within the 90 days at a big profit. If they can't sell they default on the contract and loose the $100. It's all a ripoff.

 

[sstterry]

I've gotten them about 3 times a year now for the last 5 years. I actually called the number on the card twice just to see what he deal was, and had to leave a message both times. Must not be too interested as they never returned my calls.

Offers like that are a scam, always. But, if an African Prince emails you, then that is a different story.

 

[greybeard]

The Nigerian daughter of the deceased prince evidently gave up on me. Haven't heard from her in years now. She turned down my counter offer of a marriage proposal and sharing her father's wealth 50/50 then hung up the phone. I was devastated.

 

[TexasRancher]

If you don't consider your real estate as part of your program, profit is almost an impossibility for the guy with under 150 cows. For me I made more money in 2021 than I ever have at least if you go by what the value of the ranch went up. This is all according to the nice folks at the tax office, comps, and the real estate folks that keep sending me stuff wanting to buy my place. As far as my cows go, they lost money once again.

Yepper...I've calculated it to a minimum of 120 cows to make any kind of decent full time living versus a city job. Best time to get into cattle is to inherit the entire business from your family- your father. Else, get into cattle after retirement as a pure enjoyment side hustle.
My 3G phone got disconnected from the network on Feb 21st 2022 when they activated 5G...been without a phone since....i love it, no more land calls....i still get 2 to 4 cards-envelopes (property buyers) in the mail everyday....gosh i wish i could have the postal money on all those mailings sent to me.

 

[Lucky_P]

Life without cows... yeah, it's OK. First time, other than a 1-yr period, in grad school, that I didn't at least have a bottle calf. I've really been surprised, but I don't miss 'em, rarely even think about them. Neighbor still has cows... I can look out the window and see 'em any time. Have a young couple we're helping/advising... so I still get involved with herd work & preg-checking 2 or 3 times a year. Don't miss the winter feeding and mud. - and we bought all hay & DDG for what was, for all intents & purposes, 5 months of the cows being off pasture and fed every morsel.
I've got 15 acres of fruit & nut (pecans & hickories) to play around with. Big vegetable garden. Planting some flowers to brighten the wife's day. Bought a lake house & property about the time the cows left... the kids are much more inclined to come home to visit now; skiing/tubing, kayaking/SUPing way more fun than picking up rocks or topping thistles.

 

[TexasRancher]

Not beat down...just acknowledging the truth for what it's worth.

Hung up on money? Yes...I want a fair return for my efforts and monetary risk. I can be charitable, but it has it's limits.

I hear and understand what you're saying. I've been there. Same thing-same outcome year over year.
I'll tell you what I've found....if i give up and stop fighting things and focus on "doing the right thing" on the path I was given no matter how difficult it is in my life....whether I help others with my labor (charity)....I found God takes care of me and the rest. If you can look at your cattle's cute innocent faces, can see your path with them as a producer as a Divine one....I'd say move forward...be charitable....and ask of God- our prayers are heard.
It's hard to explain (it's what I've encountered)...but when you give up and give it over...stop fighting it and the money....and focus on goodness....strange wonderful things happen in your life on a Divine level. Nothing more Divinely dangerous and strong as a defeated man...that gives up, stops fighting the old battle and gets back up with a new fighting prayer focus...with that Divine personal relationship.

 

[Gobbler'sKnob]

I don't even know where all this leaves a fella like me, getting out of the Army and back into ranching. I stayed in crops and horses some too while I was in. Burgeoning young family, moving to a new place, can't really figure out if this is a good or bad land market, hard to say when a 30 minute drive will change the price per acre by thousands. I kept pulling auction reports while I was in (old habit, split a herd with my grandfather for near 16 years before I joined) and I can't tell if getting into cattle is going to be an investment or a wash, I must be dumb but I swore I'd get back into them as soon as I got out. Well, I can always pay for the cattle with sheep XD

First post, howdy y'all.

 

[Rafter S]

It goes by county. Mine (about 70 miles from CB)
[Native/Imp Pasture.
Must be fenced.
Water Source]
1. A minimum of APPROXIMATELY fifteen (15) acres is required. (was 20 acres prior to 2021)
2. At least 75% is open space for grazing.
3. At least five (5) head of reproducing cows. (was 6-8 prior to 2021)
4. The approx. minimum acreage listed above will require a high level of forage management.
5. Larger tracts should have enough animal units to match the carrying capacity of the land.
6. Typical management practices for this type of operation include, but are not limited to adequate fencing suitable for containment of livestock, continuous water supply suitable for the number of livestock, a fertilization and weed control program (mechanical or chemical), receipts for purchases and sales of animals, breeding receipts for off-site breeding, and proper management of land for long-run forage.

Hay:
1. A minimum of APPROXIMATELY ten (10) acres is required.
2. Typically, proof of two (2) cuttings in years of normal rainfall.
3. Land should be fertilized heavily at first of year and top dressed later as needed.
4. There should be no animals on a hayfield during growing season. Animals may be wintered on hayfields.

Here, according to the CAD folks I talked to or what they had on line in 2020, are the 'special valuation' (ag exemption) requirements for most of the East Texas Counties:

East Texas ag requirements for grazing

This is what it is. Every entry is accurate only to the extent that the individual county's website was or if website didn't include the requirements for 1d1, then it depends how informed the Central Appraisal District's person on the other end of the phone line was. If you are fairly sure your...

www.cattletoday.com

Here in Grimes county we can get the ag exemption on 10 acres with cattle, or 5 acres with bees (I think the minimum is 8 hives).

 

[Gobbler'sKnob]

Is it too late in the game, proverbially speaking, to pull the old "buy timber land, have it cut" trick in order to get set up?